Archie oakes



A. OAKES.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME.

APPLICATION HLED 'MAY 11. ms.

1,399,364, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

. ATTORNEY UNITEDeSTATES PATE NT OFFICE.

ARCHIE oAKEs, or DETROIT, MIorIIGAN, 'Ass Givon 'ro seuAnn 1) COMPANY, 013

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A conroR 'r on or MICHIGAN.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH AND'METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME.

Application filed May 17,

To all whom it may concern) Be it known that I, ARoHIE OAKES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches and Methods of Producing the Same, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forms a complete and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to electrical switches and the method by which such electrical switches may be produced. Switches ofthe type to which my invention relates are generally equipped with a pluralityof movable contact blades and anoperating cross-head of insulating material connected thereto, and it is the object of this invention to improve the manner of connecting such blades to the insulating cross-head. V

One of the objects of this invention'resides in an improved form of switch blade which materially reduces the cost of electric switch construction.

' Another object of this invention resides in theproduction of an improved method of forming a connecting member upon the blade itself out of the material of which'the blade is made. p

' A further obj ect of this invention consists in the production of an improved method of switch blade construction which utilizes ordinary or standard strap copper or conducting metal from which the switch blades and connecting members are formed.

Afurther feature of this invention'com-- i prises the use of a cross-head of standard rectangular shaped insulating material of uniform cross section throughout. v

One of the many possible forms that my invention may take is illustrated in the ac-' companying drawing in which- Figure 1 represents the first stage in the operation of producing the blade member,

Fig. 2 represents the second stage in the operation,

' Fig. 3 represents a third stage, and

Fig. 4 represents the final stage of theproduction of the switch blade-such blade being here shown ready for attachment to the connecting cross-head, j

Fig. '5 shows the first operation of connect ing the cross-head to the switch blade,

Fig. 6 shows the second operation ofconn eae crass-h d t9 the switch blade,

, It will @be seen from Specification of Letters Patent. Patl lted ljec. 6, 1921.

1918. Serial No. 235,061.

in which the'connecting member is shown riveted in place, I a

Fig. 7 shows a plurality of switch blades connected to the cross-head whereby a multibladed switch may be formed,

- Fig. 8 is. a plan view of a portion of the cross-head showing the rectangular slot adapted to receive the rivetmember. T his invention contemplates the using 0 standard commercial material to formboth the cross-head and switch blades, thereby Y eliminating. much of the expense in the productionof electrical switches. A

The first operation in producing this Switchblade is shown in Fig. 1' in which two triangular openingsor holes 1 arepunched in the blade 2 in'close relationship to each otherwith the outeror remote sides parallel and their bases :in .alinement and their apices adjacent the upper edge of the blade. I Figs. 2 and 3 show intermediate stages of drawing the material included between these two openings upwardly to form the rivet member, and it willbe noted that as the sides of this rivet member approach parallelism infthe drawing'proc'ess tangs 3 are'formed by the upwardly turned corners or edges of the rivet member. a 1 v In Fig. 4 itwill be 'seen' that the sides of this rivet member have beenjdrawn'outwardly until they are parallel and that'the rivet member projects above the upper edge ofitheblade and has two tangs definitely formed thereon.

Figs. 1,2, 3and 4 thatafter the two openings 1. have been punched in the blade the metal therebetween is shaped into rivet'form by the simple process of extrusion or the flowing of the metal upwardly by suitable means. 'At the same time that: the sides are formed into paral-, lelism it will be noted that the corners are bent upwardly and form tangswhich readily lend themselves to riveting. The punch-' ing and drawing operation illustrated in Figs l to 4 can obviously be performed in a large variety of ways by those skilled'in the artbutareipreferably performed in one operation'by means. of a compound punch anddie.

From ian'inspection-of Fig. 4 it will be seen that a.clear space has been left for the seating of the cross-head 4. Upon the proper seating of such cross-head a washer 5 1s s p d e er the Projecting P iti r of the cross-head whereby upon the riveting of the rivet member a very rigid structure results. The usual eyelet or connecting member 8 may be "fastened to the cross-head intermediate 2 of the blades as shown in Fig. 7.

hcse blades are intended to form a portion of an electrical switch, but only so much of the switch mechanism is illustrated as serves to clearly show my invention.

7 It will be seen that by the above means it is possible to use standard samples of metal for forming the blades and standard insu lating rectangular bar material for forming the cross-head and eliminate any additional screws or clamping members that have usually been used to secure the cross-head and blades together.

It will be seen that the. blade may be formed in a very'expeditious manner by suitable macliines' and in its finished form, as shown in Fig. 4, carries its own means of securing it to the cross-head.

The above description and the drawings are intended only asanillustration of one ofthemodes in which applicantsinvention may express itself andthe invention is to be limited only as defined by the following claims: 1 v

-,l. An electrical switch comprising contact blades and a connecting cross-head therefor, said blades upon their upper side edges havingja cutaway portion and an upwardly extending rivet portion projecting from I the bottom of the cutaway portion through the cross-head and beyond the-upper edge of the blade members and riveted to said cross-head.

2. An electricalswitch' comprising contact blades and a connecting cross-head therefor, said blades having a rivet member formed integrally therefrom and projecting beyond the edge of the blades passing through the cross-head and riveted thereto.

3. An electrical switch comprising contact blades and a connecting cross-head therefor, said blades upon their upperside edges having a cutaway portion and an upwardly extending rivet portion projecting from the bottom of the cutaway portion through the cross-head and beyond the upper edge of the blade membersand riveted to said cross-head, the upper surface of the cross-head and blades being flush. I

4. An electrical switch blade having an upwardly extending rivet member formed integrally therefrom and projecting beyond the v upper longitudinaledgeof the blades.

. Theyprocess-of making an electrical switch blade comprising punching two holes in said blade adjacent an edge thereof, outwardly drawing the material included between said holes to form'a rivet member, alining the side edges of said rivet member, and bending the corners thereof upwardly to form tangs adapted to be spread apart and riveted.

6. The processgof making an electrical switch blade comprising punching two holes in said blade adjacent an edge thereof, out.- wardly drawing the material included; between such. holes to form a. rivet member projecting beyond the edge of the blade, alining the side edges of said rivet member and bending the corners thereof upwardly to form tangs adapted to be spread apart and riveted.

7.;The process of making, an electrical switch having blades and an apertured cross: head, comprising punching a plurality. of holes ineach blade drawing the material included between said holesup-wa-rdly beyond the edge ofthe bladeto form a rivet member, bendingthe corners. of the rivetmembers upwardly to form tangs, passing each rivet'member through an aperture in the cross-head and riveting said rivet mem her to securely fasten said cross-head in place.

8. The process. of making an electrical switch Qha'ving a blade, and an. apertnred cross-head, comprising punching a plurality of holes in the said blade, drawing the neaterial included between said holes upwardly beyond the edge of the blade to form ariyet member, passing such rivet member through the apertured cross-head and riveting said rivet member.

9. The process of making an electrical switch having blades and an apertured crosshead, camprising punching a plurality of holes in each blade drawing thematerial included between said holes upwardly beyond the edge of the blade to form rivet members, bending the corners of-the rivet members upwardly during such. drawing process to form tangs, passing said. rivet members through an aperture in the cross? head and riveting said rivet members by spreading the tangs apart longitudinally of the blades to securely fasten said crossehead in place.

10.-The process of .malring an electrical switch having a blade and apertured cross-head, comprising punching a plurality of holes in saidblade, drawing the material included between said holes. upwardly; beyond the edge-of the blade to form av rivet member, passing such rivet member through the aperture in said cross-head and riveting said rivet membe y-sp iea i g e upp cornersthercof; apart longitudinally of the l de 7 ll.- The PIQQQfiS. 0 5i leak g ectrica switch having a blade, an apertured crosshead and a washer comprising unching a plurality of holes in said blade, rawing the material included betvjveen' said holes up on the upper face of the cross-head and thereafter riveting said rivet member.

12. The process of making an electrical switch having a blade and an apertured cross-head, comprising punching two adjacent triangular holes fhaving their bases in alinement, their remote sides parallel and their apices adjacent lto the edge of the blade, drawing the material included between said holes upwardly until the edges thereof are parallel, thereby forming a rivet member and spaces to receive said crosshead, then passing said rivet member through the aperture in said cross-head and seating said cross-head in said spaces and finally riveting said rivet member. I

13.r'1he process of making an electrical switch blade comprising punching two holes in said blade adjacent an edge thereof and then extruding the material included between to form a rivet member.

14. The process of making an electrical switch having a blade and a, cross-head, which comprises punching a plurality of thereholes in said blade, projecting the material I i included therebetween upwardly beyond the edge of the blade by extrusion of the material to form a rivet member, passing such rivet member through the cross-head and then riveting said rivet member.

. ARCHIE OAKES. 

